S.T. Red Sabre LO71 | The Bosun's Watch

Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow and Mike Thompson

Technical

Official Number: 181287
Yard Number: 685
Completed: 1942
Gross Tonnage: 504.57
Net Tonnage: 186.39
Length: 167.7 ft
Breadth: 28.1 ft
Depth: 14.1 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 970ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull

History

18.1.1941: Ordered.
7.5.1941: Laid down.
24.9.1941: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.685) (“Hills” class) for The Admiralty as PORTSDOWN (P.No.T.221).
6.3.1942: Completed (1- HA/LA, 4-MG, 1-20mm, ASDIC, DC).
1942: Home Fleet.
1942: To Freetown, 2nd A/S Group.
1945: Armament increased (2-20mm).
1946: Laid up at Rosyth on Disposal List (SORF, Rosyth).
10.4.1946: Sold to Hull Merchants Amalgamated Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Hull for the sum of £27.500, estimated cost to convert for fishing, £32,000.
12.1946: Converted to a fishing vessel at Birkenhead. 524.19grt 195.00net.
12.1946: Engine re-rated 1050ihp
24.12.1946: Registered at Hull as SOLLUM O.N.181284 (H369).
21.1.1949: Sold to Grimsby Motor Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Grimsby for the sum of £102,500. Harvey Wilfred Wilson designated manager.
2.1949: Hull registry closed.
2.2.1949: Registered at Grimsby (GY8).
24.2.1949: Registered at Grimsby as HARGOOD (GY8) (MoT Minute R.G.No.1037/1949 dated 12.2.1919).
12.1949: Converted for burning oil fuel, F.P. above 150° F.
1951: Grimsby Motor Trawlers Ltd, Grimsby in liquidation.
28.3.1951: Sold to Derwent Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Grimsby for the sum of £90,000 (T. Ross Ltd to advance £34,000; Ross Group Ltd to advance £8,000 and Bank to advance £48,000).
28.3.1951: Alteration to tonnage and other particulars. Certificate of Survey at Grimsby dated 18.12.1950. 504.57grt 186.39net.
29.3.1951: Harvey Wilfred Wilson designated manager.
14.4.1951: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to National Provincial Bank Ltd, London (A).
29.8.1952: Mortgage (A) discharged.
9.2.1955: John Carl Ross designated manager.
21.6.1955: Sold to Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd, Fleetwood.
30.6.1955: William John Meazey designated manager.
30.6.1955: Grimsby registry closed.
6.1955: Registered at London as RED SABRE (LO71).
2.1956: Made record trip to Icelandic grounds. 7 days 15 hrs (Sk. Jim McKernan). At Fleetwood landed 700 kits, £4,800 gross.
4.2.1957: Outward for Icelandic grounds (Sk. Tom McKernan) in very rough weather, answered distress call from steam trawler ALCMARIA (LT48) disabled of Maugould Head, IoM with boiler trouble.
5.2.1957: At 3.00 am. after several attempts with rocket and barrel connected but line parted and fouled propeller. Anchored to await tug from Heysham. Steam tug FISHERHILL (292grt/1946) connected and at 11.59 pm. delivered Fleetwood.
13.12.1959: Homeward from Icelandic grounds (Sk. Tom McKernan). Spoke to RED FALCON (LO4) (Sk.Alex Harvey), 50 miles astern, and was informed that due to adverse weather his speed was 4 to 5 knots.
14.12.1959: At 0700 called RED FALCON and gave position abeam of Rathlin Island after a very rough passage between Skerryvore and the island in WSW storm conditions gusting 90mph and very confused sea. Past the Mull of Galloway called RED FALCON several times but received no reply. (RED FALCON presumed foundered, between Stanton Bank and Skerryvore and probably to the SW of Skerryvore Light, Inner Hebrides, overwhelmed due to stress of weather; all nineteen crew lost).
7.1963: Company taken over by Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd, Fleetwood.
17.1.1964: Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd office closed.
1964: Sold to Haulbowline Industries Ltd, Passage West, Cork for breaking up.
21.12.1964: Delivered Passage West from Fleetwood under own power.
12.1964: London registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

HMT Portsdown
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

S.T. Hargood GY8
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

S.T. Red Sabre LO71
Picture courtesy of The Phillip Dell Collection

S.T. Red Sabre LO71
Picture courtesy of The Philip Dell Collection

S.T. Red Sabre LO71
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection

S.T. Red Sabre LO71
Picture from The Osta Collection

S.T. Red Sabre LO71
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

S.T. Red Sabre LO71
Picture courtesy of The David Buckley Collection

Changelog
20/01/2009: Page published. 6 updates since then.
25/03/2015: Picture added.
13/03/2017: Images added.
07/10/2020: Image added and updated history.